Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
by muggleindenial28
Summary: "You look after everyone and I'm just wondering, who looks after you?" A series of consecutive missing moments between Daryl and Beth, starting with a few nights after the farm is overrun (end of season 2) and onward.
1. Introductions

_A/N: Hi all! So I'm taking a quick break from my usual fandom and writing something new, Bethyl. I've been shipping it obsessively since "Still" aired and I thought I'd take a whack at writing a little something for them. This is my first "TWD" fic and if you're from the "Fringe" fandom and wondering about "Girl with the Broken Smile" I promise I'm not abandoning it, it's just that Bethyl won't leave me alone. So without further-adieu, here is "Seeking a Friend of the End of the World" and it takes place a few days after the season 2 finale when the group is living on the run. I do not own "The Walking Dead"._

_Enjoy!_

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

No matter how much she tossed and turned, Beth Greene couldn't get comfortable. It wasn't much of a surprise; she'd been sleeping in her own room, hell, in her _own _bed even after the outbreak started. It had been the end of the world wrapped in a warm cocoon of normalcy. Sure, she'd heard the news reports on the radio and the TV, yet all it did was make her feel like she was living in a cheesy horror movie. After all, in what kind of ludicrous reality would the dead start walking? Rationally, the whole thing was practically laughable.

However, it wasn't until the "ludicrous reality" finally hit home, when Beth started to get scared. She remembered the day Shawn got bit with near perfect clarity. He'd driven to his best friend's, Evan, house on account of not hearing from him in a few weeks. He said that Evan was probably fine but with times like these, one could never be too careful. When he came home late that night, he'd looked pale and without so much as a word, darted up into his room. When Beth thought about it, it was the last time she'd laid eyes on her older brother before he turned. By the time her mother had gone up to check on him, it was too late.

They heard her scream and the rest was history.

For days, Beth had been on auto-pilot while watching her dad and Otis wrestle Shawn and her mom into the confines of the barn.

"They'll be safe there," he'd said in a shaky tone as he wiped sweat off his brow "until they get the vaccine."

He said that every time they brought another poor infected soul home. "They'll be safe, just wait for the vaccine" over and over until the remaining Greenes believed it. Weeks went by and spring faded into summer. By August, the cure hadn't come beating on their door, but rather a nearly broken man clutching a bloody child.

From the moment Rick Grimes and his people came to the farm, their lives all changed irrevocably. In the short months since she'd known the former cop, Beth Greene had lost her mother, brother, and home forever. She didn't blame him, though. She couldn't. In fact, if he hadn't stepped in and taken control, she and the rest of her family would have died the night the farm was overrun. It was almost surreal to think about; her fate depended solely on a little boy who'd been accidentally shot in the chest.

It was due to the whirl wind of the past few days that Beth found herself here, in this creaky old house far too similar to her own. She could hear the snores and even breaths scattered haphazardly around the house. Beth rolled onto her back and huffed out a frustrated sigh. No matter how she adjusted, the taut mattress she was sharing with Carol might as well have been a bed of nails with how comfortable she was. She knew she should just suck it up and try and sleep, being dead on her feet in the morning wouldn't help the group. Not one bit.

Glancing over at her bedmate, Beth reluctantly sat up and slipped on her boots silently. No use, lying awake in a stuffy room when perfectly good fresh air was barely twelve steps away. They'd lucked out on shelter tonight. The house was two stories with plenty of beds and a back deck that only opened to the second floor. Carefully and quietly, Beth slipped out of her room and tiptoed down the hall towards the balcony. She was just about to step outside, when a movement caught her eye.

Sitting on the railing, clutching his crossbow and smoking a cigarette was Daryl Dixon.

Since she was little, Beth Greene had been taught not to judge others based on their appearance. Yet, she couldn't deny that the rugged and rough exterior he put forth intimidated her. Back at the farm, he'd down right terrified her at first. It wasn't until after the incident at the barn, that she really got a peak of his true nature. Granted at the time, she'd been a bit preoccupied to notice much.

"Ya gonna stay in that doorway all night?" Daryl's voice growled into the night. Crap, how long had she been standing there? For a split second, she thought about bolting back to the bedroom, fresh air be damned. However, just as she turned to go, another thought popped into her mind. The past few months had been a living hell, and standing outside with a reclusive redneck for a few minutes had nothing on them. Clearing her throat, Beth stepped outside.

"Would you mind if I joined you out here for a bit?" She asked uncertainly.

"Suppose not," Daryl muttered.

"Thanks,"

He grunted in response.

"You on watch?" She asked.

"Mhmm,"

She walked over to the edge of the deck and rested her arms along the railing. It was peaceful night, cold, but peaceful all the same. Neither of them spoke for a while. It occurred to Beth, as she stood there in the silence, this was the first time she'd ever been alone with Daryl. Hell, she couldn't recall ever speaking to him before tonight.

"My name's Beth," She said suddenly, shattering the silence.

"What?"

"I said my name's Beth,"

"Yeah, I know that, why you tellin' me now?"

"Well, I was thinking 'bout it, and I don't believe you and I ever had a proper introduction."

"The hell's that matter now?"

"I dunno, just seemed like s good conversation starter."

"Sorry, kid. But I ain't much of a talker," He said.

"That's okay, I ain't either."

"Then why you talkin' now?'

"Somethin' to do," She shrugged. She thought about leaving when he spoke again.

"Kid, what're you really doin' out here?"

"Stop callin' me that, I ain't a kid."

"Coulda' fooled me. Now I'll ask you again, why ain't you in bed?"

"That's a different question," She countered.

"It'll got the same answer. Now ya gonna tell me or you gonna beat it?" He asked gruffly.

"Can't sleep… Haven't been able to since the farm." She finally sighed.

"Ah,"

She leaned further against the deck.

"That's all you got to say, 'ah'?" She snapped, doing a poor imitation of his thick drawl.

"Makes sense, is all." He shrugged. "If it makes ya feel any better, I can't remember the last time I slept through the night."

"Really?"

"Mhmm,"

"Makes sense, I guess. Is that why you always volunteer for watch?"

"Yup,"

"You should try, you know." She said.

"Hmm?"

"To sleep."

"Nah, its fine."

"No, its not."

"Girl, what you on about?"

"I'm just sayin', you're the guy that takes all the shit jobs and you always end up runnin' yourself ragged. If you go on like this, you're gonna get yourself killed. So, maybe you could let someone else look after everyone for a little while."

"Sun's gonna be up in a few hours. You best try and get some shut eye," He said after a few moments, effectively dismissing her. Beth knew that she'd over stepped her bounds and made him sufficiently uncomfortable. It didn't surprise her in the slightest that he wanted her to leave. She nodded and turned to face him.

"Just think about what I said. You look after everyone and I'm just wondering, who looks after you?" She said. Figuring she wouldn't get a response, she walked passed him toward the door. She was just about to step through when his voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Daryl," He said.

"Huh?" Beth turned around.

"Ya wanted a proper introduction, my name's Daryl Dixon. Happy?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Daryl." She smiled and held out her hand.

"You's well, Beth." He shook somewhat reluctantly. "Now, git 'fore I wake your daddy and tell 'im you been up with a redneck all night."

"Yes sir," She smirked and without another word, walked back into the house.

Well, that wasn't so bad, she thought as she crept back into the bedroom. Maybe Daryl Dixon wasn't so scary after all.

_A/N: Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it. This is a one-shot for now but I might expand on it with more "missing moment" type chapters. Please make sure to leave a review even if you hated it, or if you think I should add more Thank you so much!_


	2. Lessons

_A/N: Hey there! Thank you all so much with all the reviews, follows, and favorites! They truly made my week! All this love really got my muse going and I've decided to continue with this story as a missing moments collection. Every chapter is going to be in consecutive order and they will most likely relate to each other (unless stated otherwise). I do not own The Walking Dead or Harry Potter._

_Enjoy!_

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World Chapter 2: Lessons

The days were cold and the nights were colder as the group trudged on. Beth thought it was cliché; of course the first winter of the apocalypse would be one of the harshest in the past fifteen years. The wind was the worst, loud and unforgiving. Along with most of the group, Beth had grown accustomed to the stinging numbness in her fingers, ears, and toes that went hand in hand with living in the woods for the past however many months. By her estimates, it was probably around mid-January. Although, her only reference of time was the green little notebook she kept in her back pocket. She tried to write in it every day if she could, even if it were just a sentence. On good days, she could go on for pages at a time. However, they were becoming less and less frequent as winter drove onward.

"We'll stop here for the night," Rick said.

Everyone dropped their packs and started setting up camp. Glenn and Maggie set up a series of alarms around the perimeter of the camp, tying tin cans hanging off of fishing wire around the surrounding tree branches. Beth offered to help, but they told her to sit with Carl and keep him occupied while Hershel checked up on Lori. Rick and T-dog were doing an inventory of the artillery. And Daryl went hunting as soon as everything was secure.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Just another typical day for Beth Greene; true to her routine, she pulled out her journal and began to write.

_Jan 12? 2012 (I think)_

_Short entry tonight, too cold to write much. We didn't find shelter, again. I understand that Rick's trying his best, I really do. It's just that we've been living in the woods for weeks now and I ain't sure how much more of this Lori can take. Most days are just spent running and killing walkers… Well, I don't do much of the killing. My job is to stay out of the way so someone more capable can take care of them. I ain't gonna lie, I feel pretty useless. A lot of the group just ignores me half the time. Either that, or they walk on eggshells around me, always watching what they say when they know I can hear them… Do they really think I'm that fragile? They're nice enough, sure (when they do talk to me that is) but almost seem to be afraid of me. Like I'm gonna snap at any moment. I can't be too bitter about it though, it's not as if I didn't give them a reason to act like this. My wrist is pretty much healed now, but there's always gonna be a scar. God, I was so-_

"You gotta knife on you, by chance?" Daryl asked. Beth jumped and desperately tried to hide it. As if she needed to give everyone more reason to think she was pathetic, getting startled by a simple voice. However, Daryl did notice and rolled his eyes.

"Whatsamatter with yours?" Beth asked, eyeing the one handing from his belt.

"Too big for skinnin',"

"I've got a pocket knife, that okay?"

"That's all you got?" He asked incredulously.

"You asked what I had. Do you want it or not?" She asked.

"Yeah," He sighed. "It'll do,"

She handed it over and he nodded in thanks. She expected him to just take it and leave, but instead he sat down next to her on the log she was perched on. Abandoning her diary momentarily, Beth watched him work over the rabbits he'd caught out of the corner of her eye. If they didn't have Daryl, Beth was honestly not sure how the group would fare. Sure, he was grouchy and a down right ass sometimes, yet despite that he was a good man. He took care of everyone no questions asked. After everything that had gone down with Shane, he'd become Rick's right-hand man. He wasn't gentle or nice, but at the end of the day that's what made him strong. After all, gentle and nice got people killed.

It's what's gonna get me killed, Beth thought grimly.

"Am I useless?" She asked suddenly, regretting it instantly.

"Huh?" Daryl paused and looked at her. Well, she thought, I've made my bed and now I have to lie in it.

"Daryl, am I useless?" She asked again.

"The hell you askin' me for?"

"I dunno, 'cause you're here, I guess. And 'cause I feel like out of everyone, you'd be honest with me. I'm sorry, it was a dumb question. I shouldn't've asked."

"You're right, it was a dumb ass question. 'Cause you sure as hell ain't useless." He grunted.

"What do you mean?" She asked, surprised by his response.

"You ain't the best with a gun 'n stuff 'n you need to get better if you wanna survive. But you do your part, carin' for people and shit."

"You really think so?"

"I ain't no expert, but yeah." He mumbled awkwardly.

"Thanks, it means a lot to hear you say that," She smiled and he shrugged.

"C'mon," He said abruptly and stood up.

"What?" Beth asked, confused.

"You may be a good kid, but that don't mean that you don't gotta know basic survival. So c'mere," He said. Beth reluctantly got up and walked to where he was standing on the outskirts of their makeshift camp. On her way, Maggie caught her eye and shot her a questioning look. Beth shrugged and kept walking until she reached him.

"Gonna teach you how to properly use a knife," He said.

Over the next 20 minutes, Daryl gave Beth a relatively brief but effective knife yielding lesson. They both knew that it would probably be a while before she would be confident enough to actually do some damage. But it was progress no less.

"Swish and flick," Beth said, waving the knife in a mock wand like motion.

"No, that's not how you're supposed to- shit, just give it here," Daryl said, reaching for the knife to show her again.

"Wait- no, no. I know that's not how you showed me, I was just kiddin' around. Thought maybe you'd get at least some of the reference."

"What reference?"

"You know, 'swish and flick, _Wingardium Levisoa'_. What, you ain't ever heard of _Harry Potter_?" She joked.

Daryl shook his head

"Come on, kid with glasses and a lightning bolt scar? Goes to a school for wizards? The boy who lived? Ring any bells?"

He stared at her blankly.

"Oh my God, you're serious!" She said incredulously.

"Never heard of him," He said.

"It's a classic though!"

"Girl, do I look like the type to give a shit about some magic kid?"

"Well no, but like my daddy always says, can't judge a book by its cover. Plus, I figured you'd at least seen stuff for the movies. The very last one was just about to come out when all this happened. Lord, I was so excited. Maggie, my brother Shawn, and I were gonna dress up and everything! It's too bad that the apocalypse couldn't hold off for the last _Harry Potter _movie to be released right?"

He shrugged.

"You know what? I'm gonna get you to read those books."

"Is that right?" Daryl said sarcastically.

"Mhmm," She nodded. "As soon as we find a book store or somethin', I'm gonna grab a few for you."

"Ain't gonna read 'em,"

"Oh yes you will, I'm a girl on a mission. And in my opinion, everybody's gotta read _Harry Potter_ at least once before they die."

"If I promise to read 'em will you promise to practice properly with that knife?"

"Scout's honor," Beth saluted.

"Whatever, I need to get workin' on those rabbits, quit naggin' me."

"Fine, I'll go. But mark my words Daryl Dixon, before I die, you will have read those books." She said.

"Yeah yeah, get on now." Daryl waved her off.

"Oh and Daryl?" She called.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for the knife lesson, it was really helpful."

"Ya needed to learn," He said nonchalantly.

She nodded and started walking to go sit by her dad across the fire. About halfway there, she spun around and walked back the way she came. Daryl didn't even look up when she approached him.

"Forget somethin'?" He asked while he skinned one of the rabbits.

"Kinda. I- um wanted to also say thanks for, ya know, saying that I ain't useless." She said awkwardly.

He looked up from where he was squatting and met her eyes.

"Oh, er- it ain't nothin'."

"Well, it meant somethin' to me. I'll- uh let you get back to your rabbit." And without another word, she turned and carried on her way back to the others. She'd been sitting on the log for no less than 2 minutes when Maggie plopped down next to her, inquiring still evident in her expression.

"What was that about?" She whispered in her ear

"Iunno," Beth admitted. "He was barrowin' my knife and he wanted to show me how to really use it."

"That was awfully nice of him,"

"Mhmm,"

They didn't talk anymore about Daryl after that. The afternoon shifted into night and everyone began to settle down for the night. But with the way the wind was picking up, it was probably going to be another sleepless one. Beth pulled out her diary again and picked up where she left off.

_God, I was so stupid. If these past few months have taught me anything, it's that you can't just duck out. You gotta keep up. You gotta keep going. But above all, you gotta survive. And I think I'm getting better at that. _

_ Daryl showed me some knife tricks tonight. It was mostly pretty basic stuff, but it will help me stay alive. I ain't great at it yet, but he was a good teacher… Even if he was a bit impatient. Either way, I'm taking a step in the right direction. That's what matters right? Moving forward._

_ -Beth Greene _

As she was closing her notebook, Beth felt something drop on her blanket covered lap; her knife. She looked up and around until her eyes landed on a pair of angel wings on leather walking away.

_ A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I hope you liked it! The next chapter has been drafted so I'll be posting it soon. It's going to be a bit more angsty than this one (you gotta balance the fluff, right?). Anyway, as always please make sure to leave a review even if you hated it. I live for your thoughts! _


	3. Peaches

_A/N: Hi all! So if you've read any of my other work before, then you'll know this is probably the least amount of time that it's taken me to update a fic. My muse is strong with this one, haha. Thanks to all who reviewed, followed, and favorite last chapter, it made me happy! As always, I do not own The Walking Dead or Hamlet. _

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World Chapter 3: Peaches

They'd been stuck in the trailer park for some time now, constantly hopping from one unit to another. Sometimes, they could hole up in one for a few days. Most of the time, they were lucky if their shelter lasted more than a few hours. As for sleeping through the night, it became nothing more than wishful thinking. Not that it was much of an issue for Beth, sleeping at all was enough of a challenge. Staying up and waiting for death, on the other hand, was a breeze.

_ "To die, to sleep - To sleep, perchance to dream - ay, there's the rub,_

_For in this sleep of death what dreams may come..." _ Mel Gibson's morose voice wafted through Beth's ears. A mere week before the outbreak, her English class had just finished reading _Hamlet _and as a "special treat", got to watch the movie. Throughout most of it, she hadn't paid much attention, using it as an excuse to text Jimmy under her desk. In truth, English had been one of her favorite subjects and she'd enjoyed _Hamlet_ quite a bit. It was just at the time, texting her new boyfriend had been more important. She ended up getting her phone confiscated right at the "To be or not to be" scene and been forced to actually watch the film. Incidentally the scene, specifically that bit, had stuck with her. It was strange, that the quote would come back to her now, when the difference between living and dying could change in the blink of an eye. Sleep be damned, they all dreamt of death anyway.

"Shakespeare had it right," she muttered under her breath.

"What'dja say?" Daryl asked, making Beth nearly jump out of her skin.

"Jesus, you scared me!" She said, clutching her hand to her chest. Dammit! That's the second time he's done that, she thought bitterly as she tried to calm her breathing. She'd been writing in her diary, enjoying a brief moment of peace on the patch work sofa. Carol and T-dog were talking in the kitchen, Lori was napping in the bedroom, Hershel was teaching Carl a card trick, Daryl was keeping watch, while Rick and the others were out on a run. Well, at least he had been keeping watch until a few minutes ago. Beth hadn't even heard him come in.

"Well, you ain't exactly givin' me peace of mind talkin' to yourself like that, either." He said.

"Sorry, I didn't think anyone was listening. I thought you were on watch?"

"T-dog took over, and it's fine."

"It was nothing important, just thinking out loud about Shakespeare is all."

"The play write?"

"You know who William Shakespeare is?" Beth asked.

"Don't look so surprised,"

"Sorry, it's just- I didn't think you, well, you know-"

"Graduated high school?"

"Yeah,"

"I didn't, in case you're wonderin', but I'd go from time to time."

"Oh. Well, if it makes you feel any better, I haven't either."

He shrugged.

"So- um, you went hunting this morning right?" She asked.

"Yeah," He said, relieved that she'd changed the topic.

"Catch anything good?" Beth nodded at his crossbow.

"Few squirrels, nothin' special." Daryl said.

"Eh, well at least it'll be fresh. I think that if I went the rest of my life without seeing a single can of expired green beans again, I'd be perfectly content." She joked. Much to her surprise, Daryl smirked.

"Girl, I hear ya." He chuckled, plopping down on an armchair. "Though, for me, it's them peaches"

"Really?"

"Yup, never liked 'em much. Too sweet."

"Oh not for me, I just love them! Back at the farm, there was this orchard about a mile away. We used to go peach picking there all the time before- well, you know. Anyway, my mom would make me, Maggie, and Shawn go down there constantly and bring her back as many as we could carry. Once Maggie got her license it got a lot easier, mind you. When we'd bring them home, she'd start makin' all kinds of stuff. Peach pie, peach tea, peach salad, can 'em, dry 'em. You know, the works."

"And you never got sick of 'em?"

"Never, Mom was always real good at getting' creative in the kitchen. Suppose that's why Daddy married her after his first wife died."

"Hershel was married before?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah, Josephine died when Maggie was 5. Hit 'n run. Damn near broke my Daddy. You know how he used to be an alcoholic, right? Well he'd been thinkin' about takin' the drink back up when he met my mom, Annette at an AA meeting. They got talkin' and one thing led to another pretty quickly. 'Course she was about 20 or so years younger than him, but that didn't matter none and they got married within a year. I came along shortly after. Daddy always says that she was his light at the end of the tunnel, the flame in the darkness. Basically, what got him through the worst point in his life…I'm rambling aren't I?"

"Lil' bit,"

"Sorry about that. Seems like as soon as I get talkin' about my mom, I can't stop." Beth said, looking down at her hands, feeling her face heat up in embarrassment.

"Nah, its fine."

"I just miss her, I guess."

"It's understandable. She-um seems like she was a real good lady," Daryl offered awkwardly.

"Thanks, she was…can I ask you a question?"

He shrugged, fiddling with his crossbow.

"Who do you miss?" She asked hesitantly. Daryl didn't answer. Instead, it was almost as if a switch had been flicked and made him tense up; like he was about to take on a walker. He grabbed his bow and got up out of the chair.

"I gotta clean the squirrels," He said coldly.

"I didn't mean to offend you or-"

"Just drop it, Beth!" He snapped. This wasn't the first time she'd seen him angry, but never had his wrath been directed at her.

"I was just-"

"What're you doin'? Tryin' to be buds? Tryin' to get me to tell you my life story like some shrink? You don't know me! I ain't your brother. I ain't your friend. You're just some dumb girl, livin' in the past."

His words stung like a slap in the face. Beth felt tears welling in her eyes as she took in everything he was saying.

"What you gonna cry now? Go ahead, no skin off my back."

The tears were really stinging now, but Beth didn't dare let any fall. She was not about to give him the satisfaction. How dare he? All she'd done was shown a bit of sympathy and he nearly bit her head off. Maybe her first impression was right, he was mean old bastard and nothing more. Making her decision, Beth got off the sofa. She squared her shoulders and glared at him dead in the eye.

"You know what? Fine, be a jerk, I don't care. Have fun with your squirrels 'cause you just lost yourself a friend." She said.

"Fine by me, Princess." He said.

Without a second glance, Beth stormed out and ran towards the bathroom. As soon as she rounded the corner, the tears she'd been desperately trying to hold in sprang forth and she just cried. Cried for her mother. Cried for her home. Cried for what Daryl said. For that moment, she cried for just about everything. As Beth fell apart, she never heard the muffled "fuck," coming from the living room.

_A/N: Ah yes, here comes the angst and anger. Yeah, I kinda made Daryl an ass, but I have a reason for it! Remember at the start of season 3 when Hershel asks Beth to sing and she and Daryl have a kinda weird eye contact moment, like there was some under-lying tension there?... Yeah. Anyway, thank you so much for reading! Please make sure to leave a review, even if you hated it! I love hearing your thoughts and so far they've definitely been making me write faster! _


	4. Contemplations

_A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks for leaving all of your kind reviews, follows, and favorites. I'm so happy that you all seem to be enjoying my story so far! Sorry that this update wasn't as quick as my last one, but I want you to know that I have quite a few scenes already mapped out. Granted, they're kind of scattered and not at all in order, but nevertheless I have a plan! Anyway, I hope you like this installment, we're at the prison now! I do not own The Walking Dead._

_Enjoy!_

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World Chapter 4: Contemplations

The fuck was that about? Daryl thought as he tried to make himself comfortable by the small fire crackling softly. For as long as he'd known Carol she'd always been this shy and soft spoken woman, almost matronly. Not… whatever the hell that was. She'd been kidding of course, when she'd uttered her proposition, cocking her hip and smiling coyly at him. At first he'd snorted and shook his head, she couldn't have been serious. Screw around- what were they? Fifteen? She'd laughed off his less than eloquent decline, even teased him about it. Yet as he stared at the flames licking away at a log, he couldn't help but wonder how much of what Carol said had actually been a joke.

It was unsettling.

Carol was a beautiful woman, anyone could see that. Even him. She was smart, kind, and... _Hardened_. In the end her eyes said it all; she'd seen too much, been through too much. The most tragic part was, the turn hadn't caused half of the damage. If anything, it was what saved her. Daryl remembered when he'd first met Carol and that sack o' shit husband of her's. He'd known men like that his whole life, hell he'd grown up with one as a father. Just from one glance, he and Merle had a pretty good idea of what happened behind closed doors right away. Merle just shook his head and went back to whatever the hell he'd been doing beforehand. "_Pathetic," _he'd called her as she'd walked timidly from her tent with a freshly red cheek and her little girl in tow. Daryl had agreed, scowling at Ed Peletier who'd followed his shaken wife a few seconds later. He'd sworn long before that moment that he'd never hit a woman, and meeting the Peletier family had only fortified that promise.

He didn't judge Carol on her past. How could he when he'd been just like her not so long ago? He understood more than anyone what she'd gone through, what she'd overcome. Just like him, she'd been through the ringer long before the world had fallen apart. In a way, he and Carol were almost identical. And to see a good woman like her go through the same shit he'd dealt with all his life was just plain sad.

Which was exactly why he needed her proposition to be a joke. When it came down to it, he knew her too well as did she with him. Their scars were too similar and the memories behind their eyes were too familiar. If they were to pursue… whatever that was, it would be dangerous. Who was to say that they wouldn't learn from their past? Who was to say that she wouldn't go back to that timid woman she once was? Who was to say that he wouldn't end up just like his daddy? That last question alone was the real kicker.

And it fucking terrified him.

The soft whisper of grass being stepped on snapped him out of his thoughts of Carol and back to reality. Shit, did they miss an opening in the fence? Or worse, did it fail? Instantly, Daryl grabbed his bow and leapt to his feet. Rick had been right about it being a good win today, but that didn't mean that the threat of walkers disappeared. From the sounds of the steps, it was a straggler- and a small one at that. Silently, he crept towards the noise with his bow in his hands. He knew that with just the one, his knife would've probably sufficed. However, it was dark and there wasn't much of a way of knowing how close those flailing arms and rotting teeth might be. These days, he'd rather not risk being careless. A few seconds later, the silhouette of his target came into view. He raised the bow and aimed it at the figure with careful precision. However just when he was about to pull the trigger, another sound flitted through the cold night air.

Humming.

Humming that got progressively louder as the silhouette drew closer.

Humming that had stopped abruptly.

"Hello?" Beth's timid voice asked.

Oh for the love of God, Daryl thought as he lowered the weapon.

"The hell you doin' out here?" Daryl demanded as he walked up to her.

"Oh, it's you."

"You expectin' someone?

"No, I was just- you know what? Never mind," She tried to brush past him before he put a hand on her arm.

"Ain't nobody supposed to go out on their own, you know that."

"Of course I know that! I had to pee, Jesus!"

"That's no excuse, 'sides even with the fences, how're you supposed to know if there ain't holes?"

"'Cause we checked them!"

"Don't mean that they're full proof!"

"Alright fine, sorry! I won't do it again, can I go now?"

"Uh uh, I ain't done with you yet. Look, I get that you wanna make everyone feel happy by singin' campfire songs and like some girl scout, but you ain't doin' anybody no favors by doin' it all the time. Especially when you're alone and doin' it just for shits and giggles. It's careless and all that noise you're makin' is just gonna attract walkers,"

"Makin' noise? That's what- actually forget it. I don't need to explain myself to you." She yanked her arm back and stormed past him.

Daryl rolled his eyes. Women, he thought disdainfully. First he'd had to deal with the thing Carol had said and now Beth was all up in his ass again. Things had been strained with the two of them since the trailer park and they'd barely spoken a word to each other. He wasn't a fool to think that he hadn't hurt her feelings after what he'd said to her that day. If he were honest, he actually felt pretty shitty about it. A better man would've apologized by now. After all, it wasn't like she knew about Merle or anything. She'd just asked 'cause that was her nature. But then he'd gone and yelled at her and made her cry like the asshole he was.

And now, she hated him.

Granted, he knew he wasn't particularly helping the matter by picking on her like he had tonight. But that didn't mean that she hadn't been careless. She knew better than to walk off on her own like that, didn't she? Especially at night. If she'd known how close she'd gotten to a bolt in her head- fuck, I almost killed Beth Greene, Daryl realized with a start.

On second thought, maybe he shouldn't've given her shit about humming.

_A/N: I know this was a short chapter, but there is plenty more to come (hopefully soon!). I'm not going to lie, it was harder for me to write from Daryl's perspective (probably because I'm an 18 year old girl so writing from Beth's POV comes a bit more natural for me) but I still want to hear your thoughts on how I did. Also, I just want to point out that I actually love Carol to bits (she's who I relate to most throughout the entire series) so I do not mean her any disrespect in this installment (in case it wasn't clear). I recently rewatched "Seed" (1__st__ episode of season 3) to get my inspiration for this chapter and the scene where Carol jokingly suggests that they "screw around" stuck out to me. The first part of this chapter was my interpretation of what Daryl thought about it and in no way shape or form dogging Carol or Carylers… Does that make sense? Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it and please make sure to leave a review , even I you hated it Thanks!_


	5. Humanity

_A/N: Wow, this took me forever to get up. I'm so sorry, I've been super busy over the last month. The good news is that I'm now a high school graduate, the bad news is that now I have to get ready for college which starts in about 2 months. Yikes! Anyway, hopefully you all won't have to wait so long for the next instalment. I do not own The Walking Dead._

_Enjoy! _

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World Chapter 5: Humanity

_Rise… Fall… Rise… Fall… Rise… Fall… Rise… Fall…Rise… Fall… Rise… Fall_

Beth couldn't help but count each shallow breath as she ran her thumb over the cracked ridges of her father's hand. They were slow and laborious, but consistent all the same. He'd been like this for hours, drifting in and out of consciousness and barely holding on. When discussing the in-case-of-emergency-amputation-plan months ago, it had all been purely hypothetical. No one knew if it would actually work of if an infection would end it all. One thing was certain though, Hershel had been bitten and he could turn at any moment.

Maggie had all but given up on him already, and had pulled Beth aside and told her to prepare for the worst. Beth had shaken her head and chastised her sister for her lack of faith. He was going to be okay, he'd have to be. Yet as she watched each precarious intake of breath, the idea of faith seemed to become obsolete. It was scary, but somewhat expected. The world had gone to hell after all, it was only a matter of time before trivial thing such as faith and humanity would disappear.

Beth grasped his hand tighter.

"How's he doin'?" Daryl asked from the doorway.

"He's alive," She said, not taking her eyes off her slumbering father.

"Well- um, if anyone can pull through from, you know, somethin' like that, then- uh it's your dad." He said awkwardly.

"Thanks,"

"How long you been watching him?"

She shrugged

When he hadn't said anything in response, Beth assumed he'd left the cell. Frankly, she was surprised he'd shown up at all. She'd figured he'd be either clearing out the cell blocks or dealing with the lingering inmate issue. Either way, his appearance had been unexpected. This was also disregarding the fact that he was speaking to- no, acting civil towards her. Ever since their spat at the trailer park, things had been tense between the two of them. If they did speak to each other, their word were full of malic and irritation. It was no secret that they couldn't stand one another. Now they mostly dealt with their issue by an unspoken agreement of avoidance; whenever possible, of course. He hated her and she despised him, simple as that.

"When was the last time you ate?" He asked suddenly, his voice surprising her.

So he hadn't left after all.

She shrugged again.

"C'mon," He sighed.

For the first time since he'd entered the cell, Beth turned around and looked at him.

"What?"

"Carol and Lori put some food out."

"No thanks,"

"You gotta eat,"

"I'm not hungry,"

"Bull shit, now let's go."

"I ain't leavin'!" She snapped.

Daryl clenched his jaw and seemed to be having a hard time not snapped right back at her. He opened his mouth, presumably to do just that, when a soft yet steady voice silenced him.

"Bethy,"

"Dad!" She gasped and turned all her attention toward him, ignoring Daryl completely.

"Sweetheart, go with Daryl." Hershel whispered.

"I'm staying right here." She shook her head and forced a smile.

"I know that's what you want, but he's right. You need to get out of this cell a bit, get something to eat."

"No-"

"I'll be right here when you get back, now go."

"But Dad-" Beth started to protest again.

"Elizabeth Ann Greene, I will have Daryl throw you over his shoulder and drag you out if I have to." Hershel rasped sternly.

At that statement, Daryl seemed to find the dirty floor very fascinating. Eventually, Beth slumped her shoulders, accepting defeat.

"Yes sir," She said, glaring at Daryl.

"That's my girl, get on now." Hershel said as he began to drift off again.

Reluctantly, Beth stood up from her stool next to the cot and walked out the doorway, brushing her shoulder against Daryl. Daryl rolled his eyes and followed her out. With every step further away from the cell, the tension in Beth's shoulders would grow. Every few feet she'd look back to where her father was resting and would be nearly overcome with the temptation to run to his cell, consequences be damned. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't push the feeling of dread away. What if he died in the cell with no one around him? What if he wasn't in the clear and he turned? Who would deal the final blow to the head? Beth chanced a glance at Daryl who had caught up next to her. When Dale had been attacked on one of their last nights on the farm, Daryl had been the one to put him out of his misery. Would he do the same to her father? Beth shuddered at the mental image.

"He'll be alright," Daryl said.

"I know," She said, her voice laced with false confidence. "Maggie doesn't think so, though." She added.

"Oh,"

They continued to walk in silence.

"Ain't you supposed to be clearing out the cell blocks or somethin'?" Beth asked suddenly.

"We locked up the problem areas, we'll tackle the rest of 'em first thing in the mornin',"

"What about the inmates?"

"You know 'bout them?" Daryl sounded surprised.

"Yeah, I overheard Glenn say somethin' to Maggie about it."

"Hmm,"

Eventually they reached the impromptu "kitchen" area. Beth was momentarily taken aback but the pile of food that was substantially larger than it had been for a long time; definitely since the farm. She was about to ask where it had all come from, but then it hit her. They were living in a prison after all, of course there would be non-perishables in the food stores. Briefly, she wondered who'd raided the kitchen and pantries. Not that it mattered. Her eyes wandered over the pile and she quickly grabbed the closest item.

"Well?" She asked as she pried open the can of pinto beans.

"Well what?" He asked.

"Are they gonna stay? The inmates."

"Don't know yet, it's Rick's decision."

"Figured as much." She said, taking a bite.

"I-uh, we're not gonna let them in this block. Not right away, that is. Rick don't feel comfortable about convicted men sleeping in the same space as Lori and Carl."

"Makes sense,"

"Frankly, them stickin' around don't sit right for me neither."

Beth quirked her eyebrow at him, willing him to elaborate.

"I've known guys like them my whole life. Ain't nothin' good about any of 'em. Drug addicts, thieves, killers," His eyes flashed at her. "Rapists. Men like that got no place shaken' up with us. Fight the dead, fear the living. Shit like that becomes a motto to live by these days. You hear what I'm sayin'?" He asked, his gaze still locked on her's.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Good, now quit yackin' and eat."

"Yes sir," She said, rolling her eyes. "You know, this is kinda ironic. You're tellin' me to shut up and eat, while I think this is the most I've ever heard you speak at one time."

"Pfft, whatever. Don't get used to it,"

"I won't, don't worry. Once you're done feelin' sorry for me, you can go right back to hating me and pretending that I don't exist." She said nonchalantly as she focused on her can of beans.

"I don't hate you." Daryl mumbled after a moment.

Beth snapped her head up, but he was already walking away.

_A/N: Thanks so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! As always please make sure to leave a review, I live for all of your thoughts (good and bad). Until next time!_


	6. Graditude

_A/N: Hey all! As always that you all so much for reviewing, following, and favoriting. You guys rock! Once again, thank you all for being patient with me... I know I take forever to update. I do not own The Walking Dead._

_Enjoy!_

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World Chapter 6: Gratitude

The sun had long past gone down before Daryl made his rounds around the cell block. The harsh concrete walls seemed taller tonight. The bared windows seemed to have risen miles above hard floor since that morning. It was chillier, like all the warmth had been sucked out by a vacuum. The air felt stiff, suffocating even; it was as if death himself had his skeletal fingers wrapped around Daryl's windpipe. The cell block seemed to wreak with sorrow and despair. Every once and a while, he could hear the quite tell-tale sniffling of barely suppressed sobs penetrate the eerie silence. For the first time since arriving, their fortified safe haven really did feel like a prison.

"Jesus," He breathed as he leaned against the cold wall. Today had been a horrible day. The worse they'd had since the farm. Catastrophic, didn't even begin to cover it. In the past 12 hours, three people- no, three_ family_ members had died.

T-Dog.

Lori.

_Carol._

All of them.

Gone.

What was that phrase? When one door closes, another opens. As one life ends, another begins. A baby had been born and three people, three extraordinary people, were dead. The world was cruel like that. Daryl was no stranger to loss, it had been an active part of his life for as long as he could remember. But today, today really hit him hard. Harder than he would've ever felt possible. He'd lost one of his closest friends and there wasn't even a body to bury, just a dirty floral scarf.

The sound of the baby crying for the mother she would never have pulled Daryl out of his reverie. He turned his head and spotted Beth sitting in her cell, desperately trying to calm the wailing infant in her arms. Poor thing didn't even have a proper name yet; Lil' Ass Kicker would only suffice for so long. Lori probably would've hated the title anyway. Beth looked exhausted as she rocked the squirming bundle of clothes back and forth. As he got closer, he noticed how disheveled she'd become since that afternoon. Her pale blonde hair was twisted into a frizzy ponytail that looked like it had seen better days. Her normally bright blue eyes were bloodshot and red-rimmed. It was almost as if she'd aged five years in the last day, any trace of adolescence gone. Impulsively, he made his way towards her.

"Beth, you got a sec?" He asked once he'd approached her.

Beth glanced up, her tired eyes full of confusion.

"Um, yeah sure. Do I need to hand her off or..?" She trailed off and motioned to the baby.

"Nah, you can bring her. Just c'mon, I got somethin' for you."

Beth studied him suspiciously before following him out. About midway up the stairs to his perch, it hit Daryl how wrong it would look if anyone- Hershel or Maggie- caught him leading Beth up to his bed in the middle of the night. Not that he would ever do something like that. Sure Beth was pretty, but he'd get eaten alive before he took advantage of her. Besides she was what, sixteen? Seventeen? Didn't matter. She was one of Hershel's girls, therefore off limits.

"Wait here," He said after they reached the top of the steps. She nodded and turned all of her attention back to the baby. Daryl knelt down at the foot of his mattress and started rifling through his things until he finally pulled out what he was searching for. When he turned back around, Beth was sitting on the top ledge of the stairs humming softly to the girl in her arms. She'd calmed down some, her piercing wails were now nothing more than soft whimpers. Daryl stood and just stared for a moment, unsure of how to approach her. Beth seemed to sense his awkward stance because she looked up patted a spot on her right for him to sit. He wordlessly obliged and plopped down unceremoniously next to her.

"You know how a few months back, we were staying in those storage units?" He asked.

"Unfortunately yes," She groaned.

"I was lookin' around one night, you know- seein' if there was anythin' useful. And I found this," He said, revealing an old fabric baby sling. "I was gonna surprise Lori with it, for when Lil' Ass Kicker was born, so she could carry her around and keep her hands free and stuff. It's old and it don't smell the prettiest, but I figured she'd like it. Ya know?"

"She would've appreciated it." She said.

"You want it?" He asked after a minute.

Beth's eyebrows shot up.

"What?"

"You don't have to keep it if you don't wanna." Daryl said. "I was just thinkin', 'cause her momma ain't exactly around anymore and she's gonna need someone to take care of her. From what I've seen, that's been you. At least, ya know, 'til Rick-"

"Thank you," She cut him off. "Here, can you take her while I…" She gestured to the sling.

"Yeah, give her here." He said and reached for her. As soon as the infant left the warm cradle of Beth's arms, she began to fuss.

"Shh shh shh. You're alright, sweetheart. You're okay," Daryl crooned softly, cradling her close to his chest.

"You've got quite a way with her," Beth noted.

"Nah, I think she just likes beein' held." He shrugged and rocked the baby softly.

"Whatever you say. Alright, how's it look? Secure?" She asked once she had it tied the musty sling completely around her slim body.

"Yeah, should work."

"Okay, can I-"

"Yeah," He gently handed her back to Beth.

Carefully, Beth took the baby and gently placed her in the space between the fabric of the sling and her breasts; cocooning her in a swaddle of warmth and protection.

"Daryl, thank you so much for this. You have no idea how helpful this will be,"

"Ain't nothin'."

"Why do you always do that?"

"Do what?"

"Say 'it ain't nothin' whenever someone thanks you for anythin'?" She asked.

Daryl shrugged. In all honesty, he had never really thought about it. Saying, "it ain't nothin'" had always been his way. He didn't need thanks or assurance for his actions. They didn't matter. He'd pull his weight and do whatever he could to keep his people safe. Anyone would do those things, and Daryl Dixon was no different. Acknowledging it would be no more than a wasted breath.

"Iunno, I just do I guess." He said nonchalantly.

"Well they aren't nothin', they're everythin'. Give yourself some credit. You do so much and you brush it off like it's no big deal, but it is!" She insisted.

Daryl looked at his feet, unsure of how to respond.

"I'm sorry, I know it ain't my place to say those things to you." She said.

"Nah it's fine… Um, thanks." He said.

"Anytime," She said as she rose to her feet. "Well, I should go. Can't have this one be pullin' an all-nighter already,"

She was about halfway down the steps when Daryl called out to her.

"Beth?"

"Yes?"

"I-uh. I just… I wanted to say I'm sorry for, ya know, bein' a dick to you for the past couple of months. I shouldn't've said those things, you didn't deserve it."

"Oh, well, it's okay."

"Nah, it's not. You were just bein' nice and I snapped, that's on me."

"Daryl, it's alright."

"I shouldn't of-"

"Stop… I forgive you,"

"But-"

"I forgive you."

Without another word, Beth turned back around and walked away.

_A/N: He finally apologized! Yay! Thank you so much for reading, I hope you liked it! As always, please make sure to let me know how you felt about this installment. I live for your thoughts! Also (this is a side note), I had an AU idea pop in my head a few nights ago surrounding our favorite ship (Bethyl, who else?). Let me know if you guys think I should pursue it, I've never written an AU before so I'd love to hear your input. It's still in the very early outline stages but I hope that I'll be able to publish at least the first chapter before the summer is over. Anyway, until next time!_


	7. Family

_AN: Hi all, a huge thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, and favorited, your kind words work wonders for my muse! Have you guys seen the trailer for season 5? HOLY SHIT!*Laughs off a cliff because of Beth and her BAMFness* I do not own The Walking Dead._

_Enjoy!_

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World Chapter 7: Family

"But Dad!" Beth argued for the umpteenth time.

"You're not going with them." Hershel said.

"She's my sister! Do you honestly expect me to just sit here and twiddle my thumbs when I _could _be out there gettin' her back?"

"Yes I do! I've already lost one of my girls today and I can't take you leaving too!"

"I am well aware of the risks and I am not a child any more, I can help!"

"Beth, we've been through this, it's too dangerous."

"I don't care!"

"Beth, listen to your father." Rick interjected. "Look, we all appreciate your willingness to help, but he's right. It's not safe and you're needed here."

Beth clenched her jaw tight, and glared at the people around her. She was fighting a losing battle, hell it was already lost. Of course they wouldn't let her go. How could she be so stupid? She wanted to scream, throw something, anything. Instead, she swallowed her pride and nodded reluctantly.

"Atta girl, would you mind grabbing Carl for me? I wanna talk to him before we leave." Rick asked.

"Mhmm, I'll do that now," She said thickly. However, she only made it about five steps before her eyes began to burn.

_Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry. _

Behind her, everyone seemed to spring into action. Rick began shouting orders to Axel and Oscar about supplies and weapons while Hershel wrapped the mysterious woman's injured leg. Within minutes, Beth's little outburst was all but forgotten. She'd faded into the background, just like always. Just like forever.

_Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry._

"'S okay, lil' lady, I'll keep ya company." Axel said.

"Thanks," She said, trying to keep her voice even.

"No problemo, darlin'. Seein' that we're practically neighbors now and everythin', might has well start gettin' friendly with one another. Know what I'm sayin'?" He winked.

"Um…"

"Axel!" Daryl barked as he made his way over to them. "Didn't Rick just tell you to prep the gate?"

"Oh hey there, Daryl. I was just tellin' Beth here-"

"I don't give a shit what you were tellin' her. Rick needs it done and you're standin' around runnin' your mouth!"

"I'm sorry, I'll-"

"Just go do it, we're leavin' in forty-five minutes."

"On it! I'll see ya later, Beth."

Beth forced a smile and Daryl scowled as Axel scampered away.

"Was he botherin' you?"

She shook her head. "Y'all getting ready to head out?"

"In a lil' bit, got some stuff to take care of first." He glanced at her. "You okay?"

She shrugged.

Daryl shifted awkwardly but as he turned to leave, Beth's voice halted him.

"I just wish I could come with you guys, help out." She said.

"I know," He said.

She glanced at him quizzically.

"Believe me, I'd be just as pissed as you. Hell, I've been in the same situation."

"You have?"

"Yeah, back when I first met Rick. My brother went on a run in Atlanta, got himself left behind. Don't think I've ever been as mad as I was that day, we ended up goin' back for him but…" He trailed off.

"It was too late?"

"Somethin' like that,"

"I'm sorry,"

"Was a long time ago,"

"He was your brother,"

He shrugged.

"At least you were able to go after him," She countered.

"Not 'til after I argued and bitched about it for hours. Unlike Glenn and your sister, people didn't exactly take too kindly to Merle and me."

"You were allowed on the rescue mission, though. I know that it seems selfish and stupid, but I wanna be able to at least help get my sister. She'd do it for me," Her voice broke.

"I get that. Listen, I know you're pissed and probably scared shitless and you got every reason to be," He paused. "But we're gonna bring 'em home, you're gonna see Maggie again."

"Is that a promise?"

"As much as it can be these days," He said.

"I still wish I could help,"

"I know, but you gotta trust me. Kay?"

After a moment, Beth nodded.

"Okay,"

"Daryl, you ready? We gotta start planning." Rick called.

"Be right there," He hollered back. "You good?"

"Yeah, I think so." She said. "Good luck and please be careful."

"Mhmm," Daryl nodded and walked away.

Beth wiped her eyes as she watched him go. Her chest still ached and the lump in her throat was far from eradicated, but she felt better. Still upset, but lighter. Hopeful. Who would've thought that in a few short minutes, Daryl Dixon could calm her down?

Maybe, just maybe, things would be alright.

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((TWD)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Maggie was shaking as Beth lightly tugged on her arm

"C'mon, do you wanna go to my cell or your's?" Beth asked.

Maggie didn't respond, just followed Beth blindly into the prison. They had only been trudging through the dark for a few seconds when Maggie's breathing became erratic, each inhale more labored than the previous one. If she didn't sit down soon, she would start to hyperventilate. It was unnerving for Beth, to see her sister like this. For as long as she could remember, Maggie had always been so fearless, so resilient, like nothing could knock her down. Of the Greene girls, Maggie was the most equipped to handle the nature of this world. If she couldn't deal with it, then who could?

Beth didn't let herself dwell on that last question.

By some miracle, call it Devine Intervention, the girls finally made it to Beth's cell with Maggie at least somewhat upright. As gently as she could, Beth eased Maggie onto the musty cot. Not taking her eyes off of her sister, she reached behind her and grabbed a rag to clean her wounds. However as soon as Beth reached out, Maggie recoiled.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Beth asked softly.

Maggie drew her arms around herself and shook her head tightly. Slowly, as if she were trying not to spook an animal, Beth knelt on the cold hard ground and carefully rested her hands on Maggie's forearms.

"Do you want me to get Daddy?"

She shook her head again.

"Or Glenn, maybe?"

"No," She whispered. "I can't talk to them right now,"

"Okay, do you want to be alone?" Beth asked in the same gentle tone.

"No,"

"Well then scoot, my knees can't take much more of this floor," Beth tried to joke. While it wasn't actually received, Maggie shifted enough to give Beth room on the narrow bed. However the space between them disappeared instantaneously when Beth wrapped her arm around her sister, pulling her tight. Maggie was still trembling. They sat in silence for what seemed like hours until Beth spoke again.

"You have no idea how relieved I am that you're alive," She said. "I wanted nothin' more than to go after you, myself. I would've done it too, but Daddy wouldn't hear of it, no matter how much I begged. He said that it was too dangerous for me, and pretty much everyone agreed with him. I don't think I've ever been so mad."

Maggie didn't respond, her eyes fixated on the dirty floor.

"The only one who at least considered the idea was Daryl, weirdly enough." She continued and peaked outside the door. "Speakin' of which, where is he? I didn't see him in the courtyard with the rest of y'all."

"He's gone," Maggie said, her voice seemingly devoid of emotion.

Beth felt as if she were dumped in a vat of ice water, soaking and drowning in shock.

"You don't mean…" She trailed off.

"He's not dead."

"Then what? Maggie, what the hell happened?"

"Fucking asshole took off with his brother, Merle."

"I thought his brother was dead?"

"He's not, he was with… _them_ and ended up escaping with us"

"And then Daryl left with him? Just like that?"

"Just like that, good riddance."

"Did he at least say why?" Beth asked, still wrapping her brain around the news. It didn't make sense. Sure, she and Daryl weren't exactly the best of friends, but even she knew that something was _very_ wrong here. He wouldn't just leave them out of the blue like that. It wasn't him. No, it wasn't him at all.

Was it?

"Too much conflict, I guess. Merle was the one who took us to that place with that horrible man, he-" Maggie's voice broke. "He beat the shit out of Glenn to get information on us… I could hear everything. Every kick, every punch, every- Beth, it was so awful!" She sobbed, her whole body heaving.

"Shh, it's over now. He's gone, he won't hurt you anymore. You're okay, you're alright." Beth crooned, tears blurring her own vision.

There were no words to describe how Beth Greene felt in that moment, as she rocked her sister back and forth on the lumpy cot. Livid, maybe. She could've hushed and whispered words of comfort to her sister for an eternity; and it wouldn't've made the slightest difference. What had happened, happened. What was done, was done. No going back and turning around the clock. Glenn had been beaten to a pulp. Maggie had been traumatized. Daryl Dixon had abandoned them for his masochist brother.

And he wasn't coming back.

_AN: Thanks so much for reading, I hope you liked it! This chapter was inspired by the moment in 3x07 "When the Dead Come Knocking" when Beth volunteers to go on the rescue mission for Maggie and Glenn and then the moment in 3x10 "Home" when Beth tells Carol that she's pissed at Daryl for leaving/abandoning him. I won't lie, I wasn't super thrilled with this chapter, as it has a lot more dialogue than I normally use. So please do not be shy and make sure to tell me what you thought. You guys are great, until next time!_


	8. Choices

_A.N: Hi all, I hope you didn't forget about me! I'm really sorry about the wait, college is demanding and I'm still getting the hang of it. Plus writer's block is a real bitch, I've been trying to crank this chapter out for a month if you can believe that! Anyway, I'm so sorry that it took forever but I hope it was worth it._

_I do not own The Walking Dead or Hurt (the Johnny Cash version)_

_Enjoy!_

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World Chapter 8: Choices

Daryl was exhausted. In the past 48 hours he'd been kidnapped, beaten up, and separated from his group… Granted that last one was his own damn fault, but who the fuck really cared? If going through shit like that didn't earn him a good night's sleep then nothing would. His bones creaked and his muscles ached as he made his way through the cell black. Things were different now that he'd returned, tenser. Of course, that probably had something to do with who he'd brought back with him. Fuckin' Merle. That, and the fact that he'd left the group high and dry. All his life, he'd only really ever had Merle. Sure, he was a grade A asshole but at the end of the day, he looked out for Daryl. That alone was more than he could've said about anyone else in his life… at least before.

And now, now was a different story.

It was no secret that none of the group particularly cared for his brother, not that Daryl could blame them. But he'd already lost him once, now way in hell was he letting that happen again. The group was just going to have to deal with it. Although, Daryl knew more than anyone that "dealing with it" and "accepting it" were two very different things. For his sake, he hoped the group would choose the latter. As he leaned against the cold wall, he turned his head toward the sound of Beth's haunting voice drifting through the cell block.

"What have I become? My sweetest friend,

Everyone I know goes away,

In the end."

It wasn't an uncommon occurrence to hear Beth singing nowadays, especially that she'd become Judith's primary caregiver. Although tonight it was different, more melancholy. It puzzled him. Typically, her voice would carry a soft and hopeful tune of life passed by in order to make her father happy. Wordlessly, he straightened up and made his way over to her cell. Maybe seeing her and the baby would help lighten his mood.

Beth's voice continued to carry.

"And you could have it all,

My empire of dirt.

I will let you down,

I will make you hurt."

When he reached the dimly lit cell, Beth's back was to him as she gently rocked the infant back and forth. Daryl cleared his throat.

"Bit sad for her don't you think?"

Beth jolted slightly and spun around. Instead of greeting him with a soft grin he was slowly growing accustomed to, she glared.

"Stuck in my head, I suppose." She said tightly and swiftly turned her attention back to the baby.

Odd.

Over her shoulder, Daryl spotted a plastic box resting on the adjacent desk. Along the ridged sides, scrawled out in loopy feminine handwriting, were three words. Three words which made his chest swell with something that felt a bit like pride.

"Rick said Lil' Ass Kicker's got herself a proper name now."

"Yup,"

"Guess it was Carl who picked it out. Judith," He said, tasting the name on his tongue.

"Mhmm," She hummed in an annoyed tone.

"Can I hold 'err?" He asked after a moment.

"I don't think that's such a good idea, I'm about to put her down."

"Aw, c'mon. Just for a lil' bit?"

"Maybe some other time," She said coldly.

"You bein' serious right now? You always let me hold her."

"I said some other time, Daryl."

Okay, that was it.

"What crawled up your ass?" He growled. "You pissed at me or somethin'?"

"Keep your voice down!" She hissed. "And as a matter of fact, yes, I am pissed at you."

"Well join the fucking club, princess! You and just about everyone else in this damn prison."

"Oh really? Hmm, I can't imagine why." She snapped.

"Don't sass me! I didn't have a choice."

"You left on your own terms! Don't you dare lie to me about choices."

"He's my brother!"

"And we're your _family_!"

Beth's words stung like a cold hard slap to the face. How fucking dare she say something like that? Who the hell did she think she was? Rick? No, just some dumb girl. Where did she get off, judging him? He wanted to yell, scream at her until his face was purple. She didn't know a damn thing. But before he could even open his mouth, Beth pulled Judith a little closer to her chest and kept talking.

"Rick, Carol, My dad, Carl, Maggie, Glenn, Judith, _me_," She listed off. "We're you're family now whether you like it or not. I understand that Merle's blood, but that does not change the fact that _you left us_."

"Y'all would've been just fine without me,"

"Would we? Because I'm not so sure if the group leader having a nervous breakdown really qualifies and yelling at things that aren't there really qualifies as 'just fine'." Beth's voice wavered as her voice grew thick with unshed tears.

"Nervous breakdown? The hell are you talkin' about?" He asked, genuinely confused.

"You didn't hear?"

"Everyone's been avoiding me like the fuckin' plague, who the hell would've told me?"

Beth dropped her eyes to the floor as she fiddled with Judith's blanket.

"When?" Daryl finally sighed.

"The night you didn't come home. We had taken in some survivors that were hiding out in the tombs."

"How many?"

"In the end there were four, the fifth didn't make it."

"Hmm,"

"We were all in the cell block," She went on. "They'd been waiting all day to talk to Rick about staying, joining the group and things like that. Well, Rick finally got there. He said no and they started to beg. That's when it happened. One minute he was having a ration discussion and the next he was screaming 'get out, leave' over and over. At first, I thought he was yelling at the new group but then I figured it out; it was at the catwalk. The completely empty catwalk."

"Jesus," He huffed.

"It was awful." She shook her head. "The next morning he went outside the fence, didn't come back 'til you and Merle showed up. Daryl, he's falling apart. After Lori, everything with the Governor, you leaving…" She trailed off and took a deep breath. "It was all too much too soon and now his sanity is paying the price. So there, that is why I'm pissed at you."

Daryl was at a loss for words. With every bit of that story pouring out of her mouth, he felt his angry resolve fade away and be replaced by something much worse; guilt. His eyes fell once again on the plastic crate turned bassinette. As much as he hated to admit it, Beth was right. He'd abandoned them. He'd walked away when Rick needed him the most. All his life, Daryl had been called a fuck up more times than he could count. By his dad. By his brother. By his friends. Each time, the connotation had stung less and less, and for a while it felt like a mild bruise more than anything else. But right now, the title was real. He had really, truly, honest to God, fucked up this time.

And it hurt like a bitch.

"I'm sorry," He mumbled an eternity later. "I didn't know what I was doin', to be honest. We'd only been out of Woodbury for a few minutes when Merle started stirrin' shit up. Glenn and Rick got pissed off pretty fast and pulled over. Everyone started yellin' and it comes out that they don't want Merle anywhere near the prison."

"So you left." She said.

"Didn't even think about it, he was my brother and I'd already lost him once. Ain't no way I was gonna let that happen again, not when I had a chance to stop it. It was either them or Merle, and I chose Merle."

There it was, all out on the table. Instead of screaming at him again like he expected, Beth simply brushed past him and placed Judith into her make-shift crib. As he watched her curiously, she plopped down on her cot unceremoniously.

"Are you gonna sit down or not?" She asked as she jerked her head towards the empty space on her left.

"Really? That's all you're gonna ask? If I'm gonna sit down?"

"Well what do you want me to say?"

"I don't know, call me out. Tell me I'm a piece of shit some more, maybe!"

"Daryl-"

"You're right. I screwed up, Beth! I didn't think and now look what's happened. I fucked up, bad."

"Daryl-"

"What? You said it yourself, I _left_!"

"Will you let me finish?" Beth asked. "Yes, you did leave and I'm pissed as hell that you did that. But at the end of the day you didn't completely 'fuck up' like you keep saying."

Under normal circumstances, the dirty word falling from her innocent, little mouth would have been highly amusing, however it only bewildered him further. At this point, Daryl gave up all hope trying to understand the girl. Everything she'd been saying was now getting all contradicted. Not ten minutes before, she'd called him out for what he was; a coward. Now, her cold resolve had seemed to evaporate and was replaced by her familiar warmth.

"You may have left, but you also came back. That's what's important." She said gently.

He mulled over her words. Maybe she was right or maybe she wasn't. Either way, the girl had a point. Despite it all, he had come back. That had to count for something, didn't it?

He really hoped so.

_A.N: Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it! Again, I'm sorry about the wait, hopefully it won't be so bad next time. Please make sure to drop a review on your way out, I live for your thoughts!_


	9. Grief Counseling

_A/N: *dodges projectiles being thrown at me* I know, I know. I'm despicable. I am so sorry for keeping you guys waiting for so long. A certain really shitty MSF combined with real life drama made it really hard to sit down and write. Please forgive me. And above all else, I hope you enjoy this installment!_

I do not own The Walking Dead. If I did, season 5 would have gone a lot differently.

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World Chapter 9: Grief Counseling

In this world, death was inevitable.

Before everything went to hell, it could be sudden and jarring. But more often than not, it could be peaceful. It was just a part of life. Nowadays, one was lucky if they went quickly. Days of dying of old age were long gone. Replaced with the harsh reality of violent and gruesome endings. Everyone knew that. But that didn't mean that it got an easier.

It never would.

Growing up, Beth really didn't have to think about death much. She was lucky. Born into a loving family where tragedy meant soft tears and a bit more praying than usual. She knew both her parents had loved and lost spouses before her time. According to Maggie, Jo was a bit of a spitfire. Strong, tall, independent, and not at all afraid to stand up for what she believed in. Much like Maggie. While her father had often spoken of Jo, the same could not be said about her mother, Annette, and her former husband. All Beth really knew about him was that he'd been a military man, killed in action before Shawn had even been born. After a while, she stopped asking about him.

But then suddenly, death wasn't so foreign to her anymore.

The day her mother and Shawn turned would forever be branded in her mind. For a long time, the memory played on repeat in her dreams. Some nights, Beth still woke up with her mother's frantic screams burning in her ears.

No, death couldn't ever get easier.

Death scared everyone, but to Beth, apathy was something much more frightening. There was a time, early on, where she'd spend her days crying. Crying for her mother, her brother, her friends. She would be lying if she claimed she hadn't cried over the general state of the world for a time. Now, however long later, she felt herself shifting. After all, death was an ever present element in their lives.

It was only a matter of time before they'd all be used to it. Where it would be just another part of their days. Maybe one day, she'd be used to it too. The thought terrified her. But for now, she cried. And at that moment, sitting on her cot and while Judith slept, her heart went out to Daryl Dixon.

When he'd walked through the prison gates with bloody hands and puffy eyes, they all knew. Merle Dixon was dead. Daryl hadn't spoken a word, just stared straight ahead and made his way to his perch. That had been almost 30 hours ago and no one had seen him since. Although, to be fair, no one had risked going to check on him. They all knew Daryl, he'd want to be alone.

Beth knew that kind of grief and she knew it well. When the ones you love who are supposed to make it, don't; something stronger than grief sets in. The loss of hope. The loss of faith. And sometimes, the loss of the will to live. Oh yes, Beth understood that feeling very well.

Her interactions with Merle had been awkward at best. When he'd arrived, the night she sang by candle light, he'd watched her. Not with the passive and grateful looks of the family, but with distain and mild curiosity. She knew what he saw; weakness, uselessness, dependence. He looked at her as if he couldn't understand how she'd stayed alive so long. Sometimes, late at night, she wondered that too.

He'd mostly just ignored her, though. A lewd comment about her body or two had slipped from his lips when she'd walked past his cell a few times. But other than that, he'd written her off as just the babysitter. Much like everyone else in this prison. It wasn't until the day she'd fired that pistol, breaking up the fight between him and Glenn, that his opinion of her seemed to have shifted. If she hadn't known any better, she would've said it had morphed into a kind of reluctant respect.

_"You got balls, Blondie. I'l give you that," He said to her, shortly after the incident. Not really knowing how to respond, she merely nodded her head and walked away with a slight smile tugging at her lips._

But that had been weeks ago, and now Merle was dead. Once again reminding her, even the ones who are supposed to make it, don't.

Judith let out a loud squawk, yanking Beth out of her solemn reverie. She wiped her eyes on her sleeve and pulled the infant out of her basket.

"Hey lady," she cooed. Beth couldn't explain it, but there was something incredibly therapeutic about taking care of Judith. If anything could distract her from the horrid state of the world, it was the tiny girl in her arms. At that moment, an idea sparked in her head and before she had a chance to changer her mind, she gathered Judith closer to her body and walked out of the cell.

Daryl was reclining on his mattress when she found him. While he clearly had heard her approach, he never bothered look up. What was even stranger, was that he had yet to snap at her to leave. In his hands, there appeared to be what looked like an old and worn wallet. He continued to fiddle with it mindlessly when she cleared her throat.

"What?" He growled.

"Someone wanted to see you," Beth said in a slight sing-songy voice. "If you're okay with that, of course." She added more seriously. He glanced up and eyed her suspiciously, as if she were ready to strike him at any moment. After a few seconds, he shrugged.

"May we?" Beth asked, motioning towards the mattress on the floor. Once again, he shrugged, put the wallet in his pocket, and sat up.

"You wanna hold her?" She asked once she was situated next to him. Daryl nodded and carefully took the infant into his arms.

"Make sure to support-"

"Her head," Daryl finished. "I know how to hold a baby."

"Right, yeah. Sorry, instinct." She stammered. Of course he knew to support her head, he wasn't an idiot, she cursed to herself. They sat in a semi- uncomfortable silence. Neither of them talking or even acknowledging the real reason that Beth was there, sitting beside him. Judith started to fuss and squirm a bit, and Beth moved to console her. Yet Daryl beat her too it. Beth couldn't explain it. Here was this rough and surely man, yet he seemed to have the touch. He could get her to calm down quicker than almost anyone at the prison. It was amazing to her.

"You're really good with her, you know that?" Beth remarked.

"Just holdin' her, not really doing much." He said.

"No, it's more than that. You've got the touch,"

"The what?"

"The touch, it's what my mom called it whenever someone was exceptionally good around small children, especially babies."

"I ain't got no touch," He grumbled.

"Whatever you say," She teased lightly. "C'mon, it's not so bad. It'll even be our little secret."

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Fine, don't believe me. You must've learned somehow, though." She smiled. However, when she felt Daryl stiffen next to her, she got the sense that it may have been the wrong thing t say. She pulled away from him and braced herself for the backlash. Last time she'd put her foot in her mouth, he'd made her cry. Did she really want to risk that again?

"Daryl, if I said something wrong I-."

"It was Merle, actually." He murmured. Beth was stunned. Of all things to come out of his mouth at that moment, that was the last one she would've expected.

"He had a kid once, a lil' girl." He said again, almost like a whisper.

"Really?" Beth asked, practically dumbfounded.

"Yeah,"

"So that's where you learned all this?" She asked carefully.

"Yeah, lived with them for a while. Picked up a thing or two along the way. He'd gotten this waitress pregnant when he was about my age and for once acted like a stand up guy. They didn't get married or nothin' but he stuck around. I guess I did too."

While he'd seemed to slip into a sort of retrospective trance, Daryl's initial phrasing of the confession rang clear as a bell in Beth's head; Merle had a a little girl once. _Once_. As in before everything. As in she wasn't around anymore. As in she'd probably been gone for a long time. And even though she had question after question bubbling up her throat, Beth didn't dare ask anymore.

Then just like that, the spell was broken, Daryl stiffened. As if he's just realized who he was talking to. Or that he'd even been speaking out loud at all. Hesitantly, he peered over at her with a guarded expression. This wasn't normal. Daryl had never been so forth coming with information, especially about his past. It was odd to picture him that way, as a live-in nanny. It was so un-Daryl. Yet in a weird way, it kind of made sense to Beth.

But even still, it didn't make the whole conversation any less stranger. Even on the best of terms, she and Daryl didn't talk. Not often at least. Sure, they'd had their fair share of spats. But honestly, who hadn't had a disagreement with him once or twice. The man could be a ticking time bomb, and every now and again, someone would set him off.

Tonight though, Beth decided, would not be once of those nights.

"You don't have to tell me anymore, if you don't want." She said nervously.

He didn't respond. Aside from Judith's gurgling, not a sound came from either of them for a while. A few times, Beth considered just getting up and leaving. Their conversation had started mild and had flipped to horribly uncomfortable in a matter of seconds. Yet, she stayed put.

"You know, I get it though." Beth added suddenly.

"Get what?" He grunted.

"Well, let's just say you're not the only one who's lost their family." Beth started carefully. "After my mom and my brother… well after they got sick, I couldn't stop talking about them. It was before y'all came to the farm. I used to follow Maggie or Jimmy or Patricia and Otis around and just talk. At first it was about the sickness. Whether or not they'd get better eventually, stuff like that."

He nodded.

"But, after a while, I guess I started talking more about them. How they were before the turn. Like Shawn's obsession with Stephen King or the way my mom would sing while baking peach cobbler."

"You told me about her peaches," Daryl said.

"I did, didn't I?" Beth smiled lightly. "I didn't think you remembered." She added.

He shrugged.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's okay to talk about it. About him. He was your brother, that's never gonna change. No matter what happened. You know?"

He shrugged again.

"Look," Beth sighed. "I'm no preacher or counselor, I'm not gonna say that he's at peace or that he's with God now, because I know it won't change anything. It sure as hell didn't make me feel any better when my family told me that over and over after everything. If anything, I think I resented everyone for it. All I wanted was to have my mom and brother back."

His eyes stayed glued to the floor.

"Daryl," She continued. "I know how hard this is. I know that all you want to do is shoot out the sun, right now. And that's okay. Just know, that you don't have to do this alone."

"Beth," He started.

"I'm not saying that you need to talk to me about it or anything." She cut him off. "But find someone, or something even to let it out with. I've said it before and I'll say it again, we're a family, Daryl Dixon. Whether you like it or not."

Mustering up all of her courage, Beth tentatively put a hand on his arm.

"And family doesn't let family grieve alone." She said.

Daryl looked to be at a loss for words. He was tenser than a leather cord on a weight, but he didn't argue with her. In fact, he was actually looking at her face now. And for that, Beth took it as a victory. She smiled and reached to stroke Judith lightly, who was still content in Daryl's arms.

"It's late, you should get some sleep." Daryl spoke finally.

"Oh, okay. Do you want me to-"

"Nah, you go on. I think I got 'er for a while." He said.

"Alright, well if you change your mind, my cell's just on the left."

"I know, girl. I know." He said.

"Right, of course." Beth blushed. "Well, um, goodnight."

"Night,"

Beth made it to the railing before she turned around one last time.

"Daryl?"

"Yeah?"

"I- um…"

"What?"

"I won't tell anyone, you know, what you said about Merle. It'll stay between us. I promise." She said in a rush.

Daryl didn't say anything, just nodded stiffly.

"Okay. I- um, I'll leave for real this time." Beth said awkwardly. Without another word, she walked back to her cell.

Hours later, as she laid in her cot that night, staring up at the grooves of the bunk above her, Beth thought over her conversation with Daryl. She'd meant what she said before she'd walked away. She'd take the talk of Merle to the grave. No way would he ever tell her more. She knew that much. They weren't friends. In all honesty, she and Daryl would probably never be more than familiar acquaintances. But nevertheless, she was glad that he wasn't keeping it bottled up. Not all of it at least.

And if she thought back really hard, she could've sworn she'd heard him say something as she'd been walking away. Something that sounded suspiciously like a muffled, gravely "thanks."

No, she and Daryl weren't friends. But at the end of the day, they sure as hell were family.

_A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I hope you liked it! Again, I am beyond sorry that it took so long for me to get this up. I promise that there are many more chapters to come. And I know I jinx myself every time I say this, but I really am going to try and get the next one out in a timely manner. As always, make sure to leave a review, even if you hated it. Have a great night!_


	10. Woods

_A/N: Hi all, I won't bore you with excuses as to why I took forever (as usual) to get this up. Thank you so much for your continued support, I love you all. Things are starting to pick up for our lovely couple, enjoy!_

_I do not own TWD, of course._

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World Chapter 10: Woods

It didn't feel right, Daryl thought. It was all too simple, too easy, too safe. After all of their stressing and preparing, after all of the threats and evil deeds, the Governor had just up and run away. Abandoning his town, his people, his plans… That was it. Gone in a blink of an eye. Nothing more than a bad memory.

He's gone. He's not coming back. He can't hurt us anymore… Daryl could almost hear the half convinced mantras of the group echoing through the prison walls. Sometimes, he wanted to believe them. Mostly, he just thought it was bull shit. Too simple. Too Easy. Too safe. Which was why tonight, instead of celebrating with the others, he stood at the tower and watched.

In the distance, he could hear the muffled groans and snarls of the walkers trailing the fences. Probably around tow dozen or so, he considered. Nothing that they couldn't handle in the morning. That being said, Daryl's eyes never left the dark shadows at the edge of the woods.

It didn't matter that their tiny, mismatched family had expanded nearly tenfold in the past few weeks. Or that Glenn and Maggie had picked tonight to "make things official". The world didn't give a shit about that.

The Governor wouldn't either.

It didn't matter that they'd won the battle; war never ended that simply. For all they knew, the monster could be in those woods right then. Watching, waiting for the perfect moment strike. And maybe this time, he'd win.

"Daryl?" A soft voice called. "Daryl, are you up here?"

For a second, Daryl half considered keeping quiet. Time alone was scarce enough as it was now. Especially with everyone living on top of each other. The newcomers had made it practically obsolete. Having already been introverted and awkward before the turn, he craved time alone more than he did with smokes. And that's why he retreated up to the tower every night; to be alone.

Well, it was one reason anyway.

All the same, he remembered something he'd heard Hershel say at one time or another; we've all got jobs to do. Now with him being the de facto leader of a mismatched group after Rick had stepped down, he couldn't hide away like he used to. No matter how strong the urge was.

"Yeah?" He called out. When he turned, he wasn't the least bit surprised to find Beth standing in the doorway, holding what looked like a bowl of oatmeal.

It was strange, over the past few weeks, something had shifted between him and the youngest Greene. He wouldn't go as far as to call them friends, exactly. More like an unspoken camaraderie. They didn't talk all that much or share every meal together or anything like that. It was rather simple actually. He looked after her and she looked out for him. Nothing else to it.

"Figured, I might find you up here." She said as she walked up beside him.

"Somethin' wrong?"

"No," She shook her head. "Didn't see you down there, thought you might be hungry."

"Nah, I'm good." He tried to brush her off. However, her outstretched arm remained in place. She raised an eyebrow and jerked the bowl in his direction once more.

"Nag," He grumbled as he reluctantly took the bowl from her hands.

"Yeah, yeah, you complain all you want. Doesn't change the fact that I could hear your stomach rumblin' from across the prison."

"When'd you turn into such a mother hen? You're worse than Carol."

"Daryl, I spend most of my days running after like ten kids. Pushing food towards stubborn mouths is just instinct at this point." She said nonchalantly.

"Still makes you a nag," He said, taking a bite. "Speakin' o'which, where all your youngin's at?"

"A girl can have a night off, can't she?"

"Can't argue with that," He said.

In the past few weeks, more and more families had been brought in. The first wave came from Woodbury. Others from the road. Soon enough, the prison was starting to be full with something that hadn't been there for a long time, if ever. Laughter.

For the first time in a long time, life did't feel like a band of misfits barely getting by. It wasn't all about survival anymore. All of a sudden, life felt like _life_ again.

Which was exactly why Daryl watched the fences and beyond every night with constant vigilance. For there was so much more to lose this time around.

"I know why you come up here," Beth said suddenly.

Daryl whipped his head around and tried his best not to stiffen. There were quite a few things about Beth Greene that put him on edge. The way she was so good at reading him, was at the top of the list.

"Just my turn for watch," He grumbled, trying his best to sound as indifferent as possible.

"Just like it's been 'your turn' for the past month?" She countered.

"Doin' my part, is all." He shrugged.

"No. You and I both know that it's more than that."

"Oh yeah? And what makes you say that?" He snapped. At this point, he just wanted her to leave. Being a dick to her seemed like the best option. However, if Beth had caught on to his plan, she ignored it. Instead, she just smiled softly and tilted her head to the side.

"That," She simple said.

"What?"

"That look. The one I've seen Michonne have every time she passes Andrea's grave or when she's reading a map. The one you get whenever you've looked at the fences for the past month. You're watchin' the woods."

"So?"

"And not just for walkers, either." She continued. "You think he's still out there. You're watchin' to see if he comes back."

Daryl swallowed, but he didn't say anything. After all, what could he say? _Sure, Beth. You really hit the nail on the head with that one! Gee, do you want to be a paranoid son of a bitch like me who never sleeps anymore?_ She was right, of course, like she always seemed to be. For what felt like the millionth time, little Beth Greene had him figured out at the drop of a hat. An Derrick couldn't decide if he liked that about her or not.

"I do it too, you know." She said, breaking the silence. "Sometimes, I stay up all night watching those damn woods."

"Yeah?" H asked, a bit surprised at her confession. Although, when he thought about it, why should he be? Girl seemed to be just as observant as him.

"Mhmm, after everything…" She trailed off.

"What?" He pressed.

"I don't know," She shrugged. "I just feel like with all of his threats and attacks, it seems uncharacteristic of him to run off with his tail between his legs at the first sign of a challenge. I think he's too far gone to give up now."

"You notice a lot more than everyone gives you credit for, Greene." He said.

"Just 'cause I'm around kids all day doesn't mean that I'm naive." She said, rolling her eyes. Daryl couldn't help but chuckle at that. She smirked and looked out the window. For a moment, Daryl could've sworn that her moonlit face had taken on a slight rosy hue.

As the night wore on, the sounds of celebration below them continued. Yet he and Beth stayed put, watching and waiting.

_A/N: Thanks for reading! As I said at the top, things are really going to start picking up for Beth and Daryl in the next few chapters and I'm really excited about it. I hope you are to! As always, please make sure to leave a review, even if you hated it:) Until next time my lovelies! _


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